We’re With Her

I have spent exactly 8 days of my life in the United States, so long ago that George W. Bush was still President, and hence may seem like the least qualified person imaginable to comment on the country’s current Presidential election. However, I must humbly declare that- having followed this election intensely closely over the past 18 months- I have quite a good grasp of what’s going on. With that in mind, I plead with my American friends: please vote for Hillary Clinton on November 8.

Hillary Clinton is not a person I particularly like. She’s insincere, opportunistic and has a lot of policy positions too right-wing for my liking. She is, however, the only individual who currently stands between Donald J. Trump and the Oval Office.

All the stuff about America that, from afar, I like so much: a Trump Presidency would destroy it. His involvement in international diplomacy would be a nightmare for the world; for me, for my fellow Irish people and Europeans. Trump is unqualified to set foot in the White House. There’s a good reason why “professional politicians” run the country: their professionalism.

Trump is a glorified used-car salesman; a selfish and irrational goon who lacks compassion and respect for fact; an attention-seeking narcissist; a terrible economist; a blatant idiot. And that’s without mentioning the time he claimed that Mexican immigrants are rapists; that Climate Change is a hoax perpetuated by the Chinese; that Hillary will allow “650 million immigrants into America in one week”; that Barack Obama was born in Kenya; that Ted Cruz’s father killed JFK; that he would date his daughter were they not related. Most recently, it’s the leaked tape of him boasting about sexually assaulting women.

Donald Trump is the sort of man you cross the street to avoid and block on Twitter. He’s a perverted, pathetic, privileged pioneer of pompous prejudice and paradoxical philistinism.

Hillary Clinton won’t be a truly great President, in my opinion. She lacks Barack Obama’s youthful energy or her husband’s simple charisma. But she’s not a bad person. She’s not a quasi-fascistic manchild with aspirations that a large proportion of deplorable American citizens are willing to facilitate. Gary Johnson and Jill Stein are utterly useless protest candidates: do not waste your vote on either of them. Hillary Clinton is our only hope. And- even if you’re not a big fan- it’s pretty awesome that the first female President will be elected in our lifetime.